Ticket
by SoarWithMe
Summary: "Why, Granger dear, I saved you to save myself," he answered, sounding for all the world as though he was explaining his tardiness to a teacher, "bit selfish of me, really." Crazy things can happen when you're dealing with a changed Draco Malfoy, the Golden Trio, Hermione Granger in particular, a number of Death Eaters, and the Malfoy Manor.
1. Chapter 1

A story by Spirit. :) (no, that's not my real name, Pottermore friends, you'll recognize it!)

Dedicated to Revenge, because he's awesome.

Disclaimer: Does obsessing over something make it yours? I didn't think so either. Therefore, Harry Potter doesn't belong to me.

* * *

"Who are you?" the cold voice of Narcissa Malfoy asked.

"You know me!" There was resentment in the werewolf's voice. "Fenrir Greyback! We've caught Harry Potter!"

Draco froze in his armchair. They'd caught Potter? No. They couldn't have. He swore to himself.

"Bring them in." His mother's voice again.

Draco listened to the sounds of the trio being shoved and kicked up the stairs.

"Follow me," said Narcissa, "my son, Draco, is home for his Easter holidays. If that is Harry Potter then he will know."

Lucius rose from the armchair beside Draco.

"What is this?" he asked gleefully.

"They say they've found Potter. Draco! Come here," Narcissa ordered.

Draco rose reluctantly from his seat. Greyback forced the prisoners to turn again so as to place Harry directly under the chandelier. Draco recoiled slightly, avoiding Harry's eye. Potter's face was huge, shiny, and pink, every feature distorted by the Stinging Jinx someone had obviously placed on him. His black hair reached his shoulders and there was a dark shadow around his jaw. Had Draco not known (and hated) the person who was in front of him for six years, he would not have recognized him. Next to him on either side were Weasley and Granger.

"Well, Draco?" Lucius asked avidly. "Is it? Is it Harry Potter?"

Draco moved away from Greyback and swallowed. "I can't be sure."

"But look at him carefully, look! Come closer," Lucius said. Draco had never heard his father sound so excited. He knew why, too. Lucius undoubtedly saw Potter as his ticket back into the circle of Voldemort's most trusted Death Eaters. Lucius leaned closer to Potter.

"There's something there," he whispered, "it could be the scar, stretched tight... Draco, come here, look properly! What do you think?"

Draco forced himself to lean closer to Harry. He strengthened his resolve. He would buy them time. He had to. He needed to.

"I don't know," Draco said in what he hoped was a firm voice, "We would have to wait for the effects of the jinx to disappear." And he walked away toward the fireplace where his mother stood watching.

"We had better be certain, Lucius. You remember what happened to Rowle and Dolohov," Narcissa called.

Lucius stood. "Yes, yes. Take him upstairs, Greyback, before that wretched Bellatrix gets here."

The werewolf dragged Harry out of the room, ignoring the shouts and cries of the others. The light then fell on Hermione.

"Wait," said Narcissa sharply, "wait, yes, that is the Granger girl- I saw her in Madam Malkin's with Potter. Look, Draco, isn't it the Granger girl?"

"I... maybe...yeah," he said reluctantly.

"But then, that's the Weasley boy!" shouted Lucius, striding around the bound prisoners to face Ron. "It's them! Potter's friends! Quick, quick Scabior, take the lot upstairs," he ordered, clearly eager not to let Bellatrix get to them. He almost made it. As Scabior dragged the rest of the prisoners up the stairs, the drawing room door opened. The sound of the voice sent chills up Draco's back.

"What is this? Prisoners?" asked the crazed voice of Bellatrix Lestrange, "give them here, Scabior."

Scabior reluctantly stepped aside to let Bellatrix look at the prisoners. She walked slowly in a circle around them. A slow smile was spreading across her face.

"These are... Potter's friends, aren't they, Cissy?" she asked quietly, a mad smile spreading across her face. She stopped in front of Hermione. "This-this is the mudblood Granger. Leave her here, Scabior, and take the others up."

"NO! NO! TAKE ME INSTEAD!" Weasley shouted.

"If she dies, I'll take you next," Bellatrix said nastily.

Draco gave an involuntary shudder, and watched, frozen, as his aunt started on Granger.

"Where is Potter, filth?" Bellatrix snarled.

Granger looked up at her, and, Draco had to admire her bravery, spat at Bellatrix's feet. But, of course, now was not the time for Gryffindor courage. She should be more worried about saving her own neck.

The look of rage on Bellatrix's face could have killed by itself.

"Insolent mudblood! Answer me!" she screamed. "Crucio!"

The drawing room was filled with the sound of Hermione's screams. She writhed on the floor, her face contorted in agony. The spell was taken off of her.

"I'm asking you again- where is Potter?"

"Like I'd tell you!" Granger spat angrily. She was cursed again as soon as the words left her mouth. Her screams filled the room once more. Five agonizing minutes passed. Then ten. And Draco realized that he couldn't take it anymore. The sight of her- her tangled, bushy hair, bloody face, and ripped clothes- made him sick. Shit. He took a deep breath.

"Aunt Bella," he started, attempting his usual sneer, "let me have at the mudblood. She and I go way back."

Bellatrix turned, surprised. Then, a slow smirk appeared on her face. She stepped aside and motioned forward.

"By all means, Draco, do go ahead."

Draco shook his head, smirking weakly. "Alone. This-this is personal."

His aunt let out a cackle. "Get her out of here, then. And you better have some answers when you come back with her."

Draco nodded, and started forward, grabbing hold of Hermione's arm and dragging her behind him. He cringed when she started whimpering. Bellatrix raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up, scum!" he said scornfully.

She became silent, resolving instead to fix him with an accusing, hate-filled glare. Merlin, this was the worst. Once they were out of the hall, Draco raised his wand, and levitated her.

"Does it hurt less like this?" he asked quietly.

A look of surprise flitted across her face before she schooled it once more into a mask. He led her up the stairs and into one of the Manor's many empty bedrooms, and then put her gently on the ground. She twitched, and Draco felt a stab of pity. He could relate, after all. Her eyes were still defiant; accusatory. For a moment, he felt the overwhelming urge to gouge her eyes out; then, he took a deep breath. She, Potter, Weasley, and the rest of their idiotic friends were his ticket, after all.

He conjured a glass. "Augamenti," he muttered, and handed it to her. She continued to eye him distrustfully. He sighed.

"We both know you need it, Granger, so just take it."

"No. I have no reason to trust you, Malfoy. You could have poisoned it."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, I didn't. So drink it," he said, "scream," he ordered, almost as an afterthought. To his surprise, Hermione let out a bloodcurdling scream. He nodded approvingly.

"You're still not going to drink the water are you?"

"No," she replied stubbornly, and watched as he raised the glass to his mouth and took a sip.

"I haven't dropped dead, have I? Drink it, Granger."

She took the glass of water and hesitantly took a sip. And then another. And another. Soon, she had drained the glass and two others. And then she screamed, all the while looking at him.

"What made you do it, Malfoy?"

"Why, Granger dear, I saved you to save myself," he answered, sounding for all the world as though he was explaining his tardiness to a teacher, "bit selfish of me, really."

"So, I'm in the presence of a changed Draco Malfoy, am I?" she snorted, "don't tell me- you no longer want to be a Death Eater; you've _changed._"

"That sounds about right, Granger," he said pleasantly.

She raised an eyebrow at the blonde standing in front of her. And then she began to laugh, softly and disbelievingly.

"You're… laughing?" he spluttered, "I tell you that I want out, that I've changed, and you _laugh_?"

"Well, it's hard to believe, isn't it?" she asked, still laughing.

"Is it, Granger?" he hissed angrily, "have you any idea what they've made me do? How horrible my life has become under that madman?" She stopped laughing immediately.

"Do you think it's been a cakewalk for us, Malfoy?"

"No. But you, you're on the right side," he said softly.

The sincerity in his tone made her fall silent. To any outsider, the scene would look absurd; the abused, battered looking girl slumped against the wall, and the tall, pale boy towering over her. The silence did not last long at all.

"Dracoooo!" the mad voice of Bellatrix Lestrange drifted up from the drawing room, "have you stopped for a chat with the mudblood?"

"Scream, Granger, scream!" Draco said urgently, "before she comes up here." Hermione screamed, and Bellatrix fell silent.

"Malfoy," she said suddenly, "Harry. He's in your house. Bella-"

"My father won't tell her that he's here. He'll want to be the one that tells the Dark Lord. Which reminds me that we only have until the effects of that jinx vanish to get out of this hellhole."

"How do you propose we get out of here, then?" she asked.

"Haven't the faintest clue," he said.

Her eyes widened dramatically. "You _can't _be serious!"

"What, Granger, do you think this is all some scheme of mine? That I planned this? No, this is just good luck for me, and bad luck for you."

She groaned. "Okay, Malfoy, we only have half an hour, at most, until Harry's face goes back to normal."

And out of habit, he said, "Pity, wouldn't you think? His current look is a huge improvement."

She graced him with a small smile. And then she screamed. He'd have to stop jumping whenever she did that.

* * *

Well, here it is! Finally, because it was long overdue. I originally intended for this to be a one-shot, but I changed my mind. So now it'll probably be a two or three-shot. Whatever it takes to finish the story. :)

Now, review. You know you want to. :3 Really, I mean it. Reviews really help authors improve their stories, so please take out a few minutes of your time to give me some feedback.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ticket, a story by Spirit. ****  
**

**Dedicated to Revenge, my All-Welsh Reject. ;)  
**

**Author's Note- Thank you so, so much to the 15 people that reviewed my story, and to the others that put it on favorite/alert. You guys made my day!  
**

**This chapter took a bit of work, and I, personally, don't like it much. I'm going to blame that on the headache I had earlier today because of tangled hair and loud rock music. XD.  
**

**Enjoy.  
**

* * *

"Hurry, Draco!"

Draco groaned. His damned father. Hermione glared up at him, and he sand down beside her with a sigh.

"I know you were tortured, but there's no way we're going to get out of here if you can't even walk, Granger."

"Don't you think I know that, Malfoy? And even if I could walk, I don't have a wand. They took our wands away, or have you forgotten?" Hermione asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. And she watched as he paled, if possible, even more.

"Shit," he said eloquently.

"Nicely put, Malfoy, 'shit' just about sums up our situation right now, doesn't it?"

"Shut up, Granger."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then she screamed.

Draco sat up suddenly, and snapped his fingers. Her screams must be a brain stimulant.

"I've got it. Tickle!" he exclaimed.

Hermione edged away from him, muttering, "You really are losing your marbles, aren't you Malfoy?" She jumped when a loud crack sounded through the room. A small elf had appeared in front of Draco. The house-elf bowed down low, it's long, thin nose and bat-like ears touching the cold marble floor.

"What can Tickle do for Master Malfoy?" the elf-Tickle- asked in its high, squeaky voice.

"Tickle, I need you to bring the potion, and three spare wands from my father's wand collection. Quickly, and tell no one!" Draco ordered.

The elf bowed low and disappeared with another loud crack.

"What potion? And your father has a _wand_ collection?" Hermione asked, while simultaneously screaming.

"A potion created by Professor Snape that greatly relieves the affects of the Cruciatus Curse, Granger, I've used it many times. And, yes, he does have a wand collection, the old creep," he said, in answer to her question.

She let out a little laugh. "Old creep indeed," Hermione agreed. There was another crack. Tickle had reappeared. The little house elf handed the flask and wands to Draco.

"Will Master be needing anything else?" Tickle asked with a bow.

"Not now, Tickle, remember, tell no one," Draco replied dismissively.

"Yes, Master."

Draco gave the flask to Hermione, who drank the potion gratefully.

"It takes a minute," he said.

She nodded, and said, hesitantly, "Listen, Mal-Draco. Thank you."

He gave her a long look. "I told you before, er, Hermione, I did it for myself too."

"I know," she said quietly.

Draco cleared his throat, causing Hermione to look up at him, a quizzical look on her face.

"You do want to get out of here, don't you?" he asked drily.

"Of course! Just… how?"

"I'm positive I know where they are," he started.

"Well, that's good," interjected Hermione.

"Not really," he replied, shaking his head, "there are anti-apparation wards on the room and all over the Manor. There's no way we can get out, unless we fly out the window, or run past the Death Eaters downstairs. Both very, very unlikely to happen."

Hermione blinked. And then she screamed.

"Malfoy!" she exclaimed, "house elves!"

He snorted. "And you thought _I _was crazy?"

"No, Draco," she said, remembering Kreacher's tale, "house elf magic is different from ours. The wards won't apply to them, I'm sure of it!"

"Well," he said slowly, "it's worth a try, I suppose. It's the only plan we have after all. Tickle!"

The house elf appeared with a crack. Hermione let out a long, high shriek.

"Tickle, can you try going into the prisoner's room and then come back?"

"Yes, Master," the elf replied reverently, and disappeared.

The odd pair sat in silence that was not, for once, punctuated by Hermione's random, but sadly necessary, screams. Draco watched her unconsciously. Her normally wild brown hair was matted with blood, and there were streaks of it down her face. Her Muggle jeans were ripped, and there was a tear on the sleeve of her shirt as well. Hermione, too, was watching Draco, who was no longer the pathetic, ferrety git he'd been all these years. The experience of last year, and this one, had changed him, that much was apparent. After all, Harry had told them how Draco had not wanted to kill Dumbledore. Tickle reappeared with a crack, and Hermione watched as Draco stood leaning against the wall with a kind of casual elegance she knew she could never manage.

"Tickle went to the prisoner room, Master, and Tickle saw Dobby taking the prisoners, Master. Dobby!" the elf said excitedly.

Hermione and Draco shared a look.

"He must have come to get Harry," Hermione said, "Dobby does have a thing for saving Harry. But I _know_ Harry and Ron. They're going to send the others off, and go looking for me."

"I'll never understand this Gryffindor thing," Draco snorted, "but we'd better go, don't you think? Before they do something stupid. Tickle, take me and Hermione to the room."

The elf ambled up to them and took one of Draco and Hermione's hands in her own.

Downstairs, a huge argument was brewing between the Death Eaters.

"Where is that inept boy?" Bellatrix snarled, "he should be back and the mudblood should be dead!"

"Don't talk about my son like that," Narcissa told her sister coldly.

"If he doesn't come down soon, I'll go up myself to teach him and the mudblood a lesson."

Lucius, who had been standing in front of the fireplace, looking into it with clenched fists, whirled around and stalked up to Bellatrix.

"Would you, for once in your life, just shut up?" he asked venomously.

Bellatrix simply cackled. "No, Lucius, I don't think I will. And, besides, you really mustn't tell your superiors what to do. After all, the Dark Lord does not favor you as he once did. He sees, even after the Ministry incident, that _I_ am his most devoted follower," she said haughtily.

Lucius was a Malfoy. Hell, Lucius was _the_ Malfoy. And Malfoy's did not snap. They did not succumb to such things. But, in that moment, Lucius snapped.

"You crazy bitch!" he yelled into Bellatrix's face, "If it weren't for the Dark Lord's orders, you would've been kicked out of my home ages ago!" he pointed his wand at her, and before she had a chance to react, screamed, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Bellatrix Lestrange fell backward, frozen, onto the ground. Narcissa looked up calmly at her husband.

"Now, dear, was that really necessary?" she asked pleasantly, and it was evident from her tone that she believed it was.

"The woman gets on my nerves, Narcissa," Lucius replied, his voice deadly calm, "but she did have a point. Where is Draco?"

Draco and Hermione apparated into the room and watched, horrified, as Peter Pettigrew's silver hand, his gift from his master, strangled him. Draco's hand had somehow found its way into Hermione's, and she held on tightly. Harry and Ron had turned away from the gruesome sight the second they heard the 'pop' that marked the arrival of the others.

"Hermione!" they exclaimed together, their voices full of happiness and disbelief. They hurried towards Hermione, who quickly let go of Draco's hand, to his surprised disappointment.

"Merlin, are you okay?"

"What'd she do to you?"

"Dobby came and took the others to Shell Cottage, we'd better go quickly!"

"Sorry to break up the happy reunion," Draco said sarcastically, not sounding very sorry at all, "but we really do need to get out of here before someone notices that Hermione's stopped screaming."

The two Gryffindor boys looked at Draco as though seeing him for the first time.

"Malfoy!" Harry yelled, pointing the wand he'd taken from Pettigrew at Draco's throat, "what are you doing here?"

"I just saved Hermione's ass, and I'm about to save yours too," Draco replied snarkily.

"Your mental aunt was the one who tortured her in the first place," Ron said in a fierce whisper.

"Ron," Hermione cut in, "Draco saved me, healed me, and gave me a wand. He wants out. He's on our side."

"How can we trust him?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"The fact that I'm here and alive should be reason enough!" Hermione said angrily.

"Potter, Weasley, where did you send the others?" Draco inquired.

"Shell Cottage, my older brother's place," Ron replied reluctantly.

"Dobby took them there?" Draco asked, running a hand through his hair.

Harry nodded.

"Then we should go there as well."

"We?" Ron asked incredulously, "listen here, Malfoy, you can't-"

"Shut up!" Draco said, straining against the door, "someone's coming!"

He threw a wand to Ron. Just as Ron caught it, the door creaked open. The four froze in horror as Lucius Malfoy's head entered the room.

"Draco?"

* * *

**Note- There it is! Liked it? Hated it? Review! **

**Come on guys, really, out of the 140 something (last time I checked) people that read it, only 15 bothered to review. (again, thank you guys!) That means I don't know whether or not you others liked it, what you thought I could fix, or, well, anything. So, if you read it, please, please review it, even if all you're putting in the review is a :) or a :(. That at least gives me some idea what you thought.  
**

**Now, that being said, I hope to have the next chapter up in a couple of days for you all. :) **

**-Spirit**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ticket**

**Chapter Three**

**Dedicated to Revenge.**

**Hey everyone! Yeah, I'm still here. *dodges tomatoes* I have to apologise for the huge delay on this chapter, of course. School and life in general caught up with me, and I really didn't find any time to sit down and write. All I had were snippets of this chapter written in different notebooks for different subjects. :P But, Christmas hols finally rolled around and I could finish this. So, here it is, the new chapter of Ticket.**

* * *

It was the first and the last time anyone would see Lucius Malfoy the way he was at that moment; slack jawed with his eyes open wide in disbelief. Yet, there was something else there too, something that Hermione could just make out in the dimly lit room. If she didn't know better, she'd think to say that it was a glimmer of hope, a sign of recognition.

"Explain yourself, Draco," the Malfoy patriarch said in his silky tone. Draco's dislike for the man was more than apparent in his answer.

"What does it look like to you, _Father?" _he asked, spitting the last word out venomously.

There was an audible shuffling noise in the corner of the room just as Lucius had opened his mouth to reply. Apparently, Harry had regained control of his good sense. He raised his wand, undoubtedly to hex the Death Eater, but stopped short at the look on Hermione's face. As costly as it was, this battle was between Draco and Lucius, and they had to respect that. They had no choice but to, really.

"It would seem to me that you are attempting to free and run off with Potter and his filthy friends," Lucius sneered, "but surely an idea such as this is preposterous."

Draco's steely grey eyes flashed angrily.

"Preposterous?" he repeated, his voice laced with sarcasm, "why, if there's anything I find preposterous here, it's you and your idiotic notions. Did you ever attempt to find the logic in your situation, Father? Here you are, a pureblood, head of one of the most ancient wizarding families, and you've pledged your allegiance to a half-blood lunatic who doesn't even have a nose. Your actions go against your very own philosophy! You've raised me to believe that mudbloods and half-bloods are beneath us, yet here you are, bending to a half-blood's whim. If that isn't hypocrisy then I don't know what is."

"The Dark Lord is a pathway for us to achieve our goals," Lucius hissed, "He is on the way to achieving what we have not been able to. And do not forget that he is descended directly from Salazar Slytherin himself. Once he finishes what he has started and purges the wizarding world of those that are…unworthy," he sneered, "we will have it the way it is to be."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, unable to understand how an intelligent, educated man like Lucius could possibly believe any of that drivel.

"You're fighting a losing battle there, Father. We all know that Potter's going to best Him…again."

Harry had an odd expression on his face at Draco's words, for he was quite unable to believe that his old enemy had faith in his abilities.

"You really think that, Draco? You believe that a seventeen- year old boy can best the most powerful wizard of all time? The only wizard to have defied Death?"

Draco laughed derisively.

"Don't you think it's a bit pathetic, the way such a _great _and _powerful _wizard spends his time obsessively hunting, as you said, a seventeen- year old boy? Not to mention that Potter, Weasley, and Granger have evaded old Baldy, or should I say, He-Who-Belongs- In-St. Mungos, several times," he finished daringly.

Lucius sputtered for a bit, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione stifled laughter. Draco, on the other hand, looked positively livid. His usually pale cheeks were flushed, his eyes looked like molten silver, his hair was a mess, his shirt was untucked, and his breathing was uneven. It was the most unhinged they had ever seen him. Hermione thought it befitted him to show a bit that wasn't hatred, contempt or bitterness.

Lucius, on the other hand, looked very unbecoming indeed. His blonde hair was in complete disarray, and he looked as though he had run a marathon whilst being chased by a herd of angry hippogriffs.

"This is not how I raised you, Draco," Lucius snarled, "turning against your family, betraying everything we believe in-" he was cut off by Draco's scoff.

"Raised?" Draco asked incredulously, "the only one around here that did any raising was Mother, and even she spent more than half of her time planning some party or organizing the next luncheon. When you were home long enough to spend any time with me, Father, all you did was drill your nonsense into my brain and berate me for my shortcomings. You restricted who I could meet and make friends with, you kept constant tabs on what I did, and you let me have no freedom at all," Draco finished his rant, clenching his fists angrily.

At his last words, a rather pained expression had come across Lucius's face. As Hermione looked up at the tall, pale man with his aristocratic features and haughty demeanor, she saw a flash of something in his stormy grey eyes. Regret. It was gone so quickly she thought she may have imagined it. But when she glanced over at Draco, she knew she could not have been mistaken, for by the expression on her classmate's face, he too had seen it. Harry, however, was staring down at something in his hands with an intense concentration. Ron was glancing over at him nervously, while Hermione narrowed her eyes, wondering what the two were up to now. But as for the father and son, their gazes had never wavered from each other.

"There is still time, Father," Draco said, a little bit of desperation now creeping into his voice, "we could still change sides. Mother…" he trailed off, his eyes jaded.

Lucius shook his head.

"No, Draco. It is much too late for that now. We wouldn't even last day," he whispered, "the Dark Lord would find us, and our fate would be even worse than death."

Draco paled considerably, and Ron looked at Lucius, his eyes wide with disgust.

"Mr. Malfoy, sir," Hermione started, and all the heads in the room snapped around in her direction, "the Order could keep you safe. There are many safe houses where you could be hidden."

A sardonic smile appeared on Lucius's face.

"Your Order is failing, girl. Your lot can't protect themselves, why would they protect a Death Eater and his family? No. Our place is here; for that is the path we have chosen. There is no going back for me now.

"I'm not foolish, Father," Draco said softly, "I realize I'm not likely to survive. But when I die, I don't want it to be in vain. I'd rather die fighting for the side I believe in."

Lucius raised his wand, then suddenly dropped it and looked away.

"Then go," he said, so softly that it was barely audible.

A crack announced the arrival of Dobby, who, upon casting a fearful look at Lucius, grabbed on to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and upon a moment's hesitation, Draco as well. The last thing Draco saw before the room started to spin around him was his father's grey eyes, and as he looked into them, the man gave him an odd half smile and a curt nod. And there it was. The redemption of Lucius Malfoy.

* * *

**So, how was it? Probably not worth the wait, but it's mainly my thoughts on Draco and Lucius in general. Please review, especially with any mistakes you've found, or any suggestions you have. Just click that there button. ;)**


End file.
